After a strong full-length debut, Maax return with their follow-up release, Six Pack Witchcraft, a five song EP just under fifteen minutes in length. This release is an intense Satanic Black Metal romp with a strong Punk influence and attitude that is often fueled by alcoholic rage that brings in reminiscing shades of first wave Black Metal acts, as well as what it seems like Darkthrone has been attempting to create on their more recent albums. Of course, this release isn't without some faults.
Six Pack Witchcraft is an excellent EP that plays host to plenty of fast, angry Black Metal tracks, like "Fire in the Hole" which jumps comes at you like a fiery fist from the devil himself. This is the track that really shows some of the more Punk influence that is incorporated into the mix thanks to the group chants. It also becomes pretty obvious during "Go Fuck Yourself" and "Bastards", which is pretty clear thanks to the two-stepping drum work incorporated, as well as the guitars that seem to blend both Black and Punk styles together nicely. Of course, you can really hear some of the alcoholic references here and there on the album, but of course none are as obvious as during "Six Pack Witchcraft" which even speaks about cracking open some alcohol in the name of Satan, which is enough to cause cottonmouth on those unfortunate enough to not have alcohol at the time of listening to this release.
The only problem with Six Pack Witchcraft, really, is within the production quality. While this album does a nice job at creating a raw sounding production, it's hard to get the full effect from it since the drums are practically crystal clear compared to the rest of the material. The guitars sound thick and have the traditional Black Metal kind of distortion on them, and the vocals are, of course, a bit overmodulated and sunk into the mix to be just a little louder then the guitars, leaving the drumming to often sound as if it is drowning it out, and would do so if it weren't that one snare drum sounds muffled compared to the rest of the pieces to the kit, and the echo seems to be far louder then the actual shouting vocals that were recorded.
Outside of the odd recording quality and the random washout moments that appear here and there, such as during "Die by the Ax", this EP is a solid release full of anger, energy, Satanism, and alcohol, as well as a great follow-up to the band's debut. If you're looking for something that is just full of unbridled rage but doesn't venture anywhere near the blast-beat only type of music writing that is looming throughout the "third generation" of Black Metal, then Six Pack Witchcraft is right up your alley. This short, but oh so sweet metal rampage is fantastic, and really brings things back to the way they were when this style was just coming together, as well as the perfect release to have on repeat while getting drunk, whether in the name of Satan or not.
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